In a standard steam bath, steam is fed continuously into a bathing cubicle. Thereby the air in the bathing cubicle is saturated with steam. Part of the steam condenses to water in the form of finely dispersed droplets. Because of the heat of the introduced steam, a relatively high temperature of approximately 40xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C. prevails in the bathing cubicle.
When a person occupies the bathing cubicle, his or her blood flow and transpiration are increased. This leads to rapid water losses (xe2x80x9ccleansingxe2x80x9d) and, by virtue of the absence of evaporation, to heat accumulation that influences the metabolism and circulation. This must be dissipated by subsequent cooling under a temperature-controlled shower or in a cold-water pool.
Compared with the steam bath, the temperature is even higher in a sauna bath. Dry heat at approximately 85xc2x0 C. to 95xc2x0 C. usually prevails in its bathing cubicle. The high temperature stimulates the blood flow and thus also the metabolism.
These effects can be intensified by pouring water (infusion) over heated stones in the hot-air cubicle and thereby generating steam. In many cases, healing herbs, ethereal oils, etc. are additionally present in the infusion water and thus also in the generated steam. Similar conditions can also be achieved for the already mentioned steam fed to the bathing cubicle of the steam bath.
The usual sauna and steam baths, however, suffer from the disadvantage among others that the circulation of the bather is severely stressed by the high temperature in the bathing cubicle.
In Patent Abstracts of Japan C-853, Jul. 25, 1991, Vol. 15/No. 293, there is disclosed a mist bath into which an atomized liquid is fed.
To produce the mist, the liquid is forced through small apertures of a nozzle, thus becoming atomized.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, 09154913 A, Jun. 17, 1997, cited in opposition, discloses a steam bath into which relatively hot steam is supposed to be fed. For this purpose, hot water is forced by a pump through small apertures of a spray nozzle. Hereby the hot water is atomized. The spray nozzles can be closed by a cover whenever hot water is not supposed to be supplied.
In Patent Abstracts of Japan, C-1125, Oct. 28, 1993, Vol. 17/No. 591, there is described a steam sauna in which an atomized liquid is fed into a sauna room. In the process, liquid is fed via a pump to a spray nozzle, where it is forced through small apertures, thus atomizing the liquid.
In German Patent DE 4228229 C1, cited in opposition, there is described a method and a means for generating mist. For this purpose a liquid is excited into oscillations in an atomizer vessel by means of a quartz oscillator, so that a cloud of liquid droplets is produced.
The object of the invention is to provide a different type of unit and a different type of method for administering a full-body bath, while creating numerous advantages.
It achieves this object with a full-body mist-bath unit having a bathing cubicle for accommodating at least one person and atomized liquid, and having, for preparation of the atomized liquid, a liquid atomizer, which is provided with a high-pressure chamber in which the liquid is compressed by the action of a high pressure of at least 100 bar, and with a nozzle for explosive ejection of the compressed liquid subjected to high pressure, so that it bursts apart into small particles by virtue of its high internal pressure (claim 1).
The invention also achieves the aforesaid object by a method for administering a full-body mist bath to at least one person in a bathing cubicle, with the following steps: compression of a liquid by the action of a high pressure of at least 100 bar on the liquid; explosive ejection of the liquid, so that it bursts apart into small particles by virtue of its high internal pressure; supplying the atomized liquid to the bathing cubicle.
Thus the skin of the bather is not exposed to hot air containing hot steam, as it would be in the standard steam and sauna baths. Instead, an atomized liquid acts thereon. In contrast to sauna and steam baths, therefore, a much lower temperature can prevail in the bathing cubicle, especially a temperature lower than 35xc2x0 C., and especially preferably of 22 to 28xc2x0 C. Therewith less stress is imposed on the circulation of the bather than is the case in sauna or steam baths.
In an advantageous embodiment in this connection, the entire body, or in other words all of the skin of the bather is exposed to the mist particles, corresponding to a xe2x80x9cfull bathxe2x80x9d in the sauna. Another option, as in a xe2x80x9cpartial bathxe2x80x9d in the sauna, is a treatment of the entire body except for individual body parts (such as the head, trunk together with legs, etc.).
According to the inventive unit and the inventive method, the liquid is so strongly compressed that its volume is decreased. For liquids, this is generally achieved only at very high pressures. The compressed liquid is then discharged into the normal atmosphere of, for example, 1 bar. In the process, the liquid bursts apart into minute particles by virtue of its high internal pressure, or in other words it explodes in all directions to form a fine mist.
Preferably the liquid to be atomized is water (claims 2, 10). Advantageously, an oil can also be used as the liquid to be atomized, especially an organic oil (claims 4, 12), for example peanut oil. During inventive atomization of the oil, it is excited to increased emission of photons as a result of the high pressure applied and of the subsequent bursting apart into small mist particles. Through the action of the mist particles excited in this way, for example on the skin of the person in the bathing cubicle, biophoton emission is increased in that person. xe2x80x9cBiophotonsxe2x80x9d are to be understood as the light quanta of the (weak) radiation emitted by the cells of the person. The emission intensity can be determined, for example, by using a photomultiplier to measure the light emitted from a blood sample of the person.
In an especially preferred embodiment, the full-body mist bath is administered for 10 to 30 minutes (claim 13). The biophoton emission of the blood of the person is then increased by more than 20% relative to the initial condition immediately after the full-body bath, and subsequently it decreases linearly back to the original emission intensity. Thereby a durable therapeutic effect is achieved in the bather.
In an especially preferred embodiment, additional salts have been mixed with the water (claims 3, 11), especially Dead Sea salts. The water is preferably saturated with salts, or is close to the saturation point. After atomization of the water, the salts are then contained in the mist particles as well, and so can act on the skin of the person in the bathing cubicle. In this way skin diseases can be treated without necessitating a stay at a health resort close to a sea with high salt content (Baltic Sea, Dead Sea, etc.). The salty mist particles have a toning effect even on healthy skin.
Preferably the water may also be enriched with vitamins instead of or in addition to the salt. Analogously, in an especially preferred embodiment, vitamins are also contained in the oil that can be used instead of water as the liquid to be atomized. Advantageously, medications may also be dissolved in the liquid to be atomized.
Preferably the bathing cubicle can be sealed such that it is airtight to the exterior (claim 5). This ensures that the generated mist particles do not escape outward from the bathing cubicle. These happen to be positively charged during the inventive atomization of the liquid. Consequently, the mist particles repel one another, and soxe2x80x94without sealingxe2x80x94they rapidly diffuse out of the bathing cubicle.
In an advantageous embodiment, a UV source is provided in the bathing cubicle (claim 6). Thereby the person""s skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation during bathing. This has the result that the advantageous effects of the mist particles on the skin as described in the foregoing are further intensified.
In a further preferred embodiment, a shower is provided in the bathing cubicle (claim 7). Thus the body can be washed after bathing. In the process, it is possible, for example, to rinse off salt residues remaining on the skin.
In a particularly preferred d embodiment, a fan is provided in the bathing cubicle, especially in a tube of the bathing cubicle into which the liquid is ejected (claim 8) Therewith it is possible, for example, to disperse the mist particles in the bathing cubicle or, for example, to boost the supply of atomized liquid to the bathing cubicle.
In the high-pressure chamber, the liquid is subjected to a pressure of preferably at least 100 bar, especially of higher than 150 bar. In particular, the pressure ranges between 200 and 800 bar. Thereby it is ensured that, during explosive ejection of the liquid from the nozzle into the normal atmosphere, it bursts apart into small mist particles. These have a size of about 0.5 to 10 xcexcm3, preferably approximately 1 xcexcm3. Thus one mm3 of liquid bursts apart into one billion particles. In contrast, if the liquid were at too low a pressure, it would emerge from the nozzle as a closed jet.
In an advantageous embodiment, between 0.01 and 0.5 ml of liquid, especially approximately 0.05 ml, is ejected through the nozzle in each case (claim 14). In a particularly preferred embodiment, the liquid is ejected into a tube and supplied via the tube to the bathing cubicle (claim 15).